Evangelism

I wonder if somewhere along the line this statement of Jesus got lost. Or, maybe it makes us so uncomfortable that we simply ignore it. At the very least, we don’t do it very well.

Today we celebrate St. Matthew the Evangelist. Do we even do evangelism anymore? When was the last time you heard it in your pastor’s sermon. I don’t hear it very often in my church and I am the pastor.

Yes, I know that we have been turned off by the often shoddy and brazen evangelism we see today. Yes, I know that we must be respectful of others’ religious traditions. But we do have a story to tell. Nay, a story we are commanded to tell.

We do tell the story very well in the actions we do. We work for peace and justice. We strive hard to alleviate the effects of poverty and hunger. This is vital work for God’s people. But so are the words.

It may be easier to do the actions than speak the words. Many others do much the same kind of work; not so many speak the same words. We are much more vulnerable when sharing Jesus’ story orally.

Matthew had the courage to speak in Jesus’ name. Do we?

Lord Jesus, help me share your story with others. Amen. — DAB